Friends With Benefits

Not that kind of benefits. Social connections—relationships with friends, family, neighbors, or colleagues—improve life expectancy by 50 percent, according to a new study by researchers at Brigham Young University. That means being a loner is twice as bad as being obese, more harmful than not exercising, the same as being an alcoholic, and smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Say what?! Science Daily reports that the study lumped both positive and negative relationships together, which means you don't have to get along with your co-workers or family to stay alive. So why do these scientists think social interaction has such an effect? "When someone is connected to a group and feels responsibility for other people, that sense of purpose and meaning translates to taking better care of themselves and taking fewer risks," says BYU professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad. Makes a lot of sense.